Welcome to Hartwell, a quiet seaside escape where uncovering old secrets could lead one woman to discover the meaning of a love that lasts…
While Doctor Jessica Huntington engages with the inmates at the women’s correctional facility where she works, she’s always careful to avoid emotional attachments in her personal life. Loss and betrayal taught her that lesson long ago. But when she comes across a set of old love letters in the prison’s library and visits the picturesque town of Hartwell to deliver them to their intended recipient, she finds herself unable to resist the town’s charm—and her attraction to the sexy owner of a local bar proves equally hard to deny.
Since his divorce from his unfaithful ex-wife, Cooper Lawson has focused on what really matters: his family and the boardwalk pub they’ve owned for generations. But the first time Jessica steps into his bar, Cooper is beyond tempted to risk his heart on her. Yet as their attraction grows hotter and Jessica remains stubbornly closed off, he begins to realize it will take more than just passion to convince her there’s only one real thing in life worth fighting for….

Summary

Jessica Huntington, is a doctor at the women’s correctional facility and even though its not her “dream” job, she knows its where she’s needed. But what surprises her, is when she finds four letters from an inmate years ago, whose story is heartbreaking and calls out to Jessica. So with vacation time coming up, she decides to go to the coastal town of Hartwell, and deliver the love letters to the man that deserves them. What Jessica doesn’t plan on, is finding a home on Hartwell and a group of friends to call her own and a sexy bar owner she doesn’t think she will be ever to forget. Cooper is recovering from a bad marriage and doesn’t know if he is ready to let another woman into his life and into his heart. But Jessica calls something to him that he has never known, but she keeps a part of herself away from him. Will Jessica be honest with Cooper and give him her full heart or lose him forever…

Plot and Story Line

What a story and a great beginning to what I think will be a great series. I was lucky enough to get a audio copy through my local library for this story, and boy was it worth the wait. Samantha Young has outdid herself with The One Real Thing. It sets off with our heroine Jessica. Now Jessica, she has secrets of her own, secrets that she keeps very well hidden. She has to face some painful things in her past and it begins with finding lost love letters, letters that Jessica can’t help but feel a kinship with. She knows she must give them to the man they were intended for. Then upon her arrival to Hartwell, she meets Cooper. Now these two have some great chemistry. I really couldn’t help but feel captivated by these two. Both of these characters, have some tough pasts, but Jessica holds back more than Cooper does. It was really interesting to see these two figure out their bumpy relationship. This book does tear at your emotions at certain times, which is Samantha Young’s style, but I loved the ride that this author gives us. There were also some colorful characters that makes the story more endearing and lively. They bring a good balance to the story. I love the spurts of humor and lightheartedness that we find in this romance. I fell in love quickly with this town and the spunky characters and the charming quality of the setting made for a delightful read.

“You’ve made your mark. You made your mark on me. No matter what happens between us now or in the future, I will never forget you. You’re inside me. Always will be.”

Narration

This was a dual narration, and boy I loved these two together. Both were fantastic, and portrayed the personalities of the characters so well. I really admired the way the let the emotion flow so smoothly.

The Cover

So pretty and classy and I love the scenery beneath the pair’s “almost” kiss!!!

Overall View

The One Real Thing is full of storms and calm seas….of sensuality and poignant emotion and a story to captivate your heart!

Click To Buy On Amazon

About Samantha Young

Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. She's been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Author and Best Romance for her international bestseller ON DUBLIN STREET and Best Romance 2014 for BEFORE JAMAICA LANE. ON DUBLIN STREET is Samantha's first adult contemporary romance series and has sold in twenty-eight countries.